The COVID-19 pandemic has put the brakes on summer collegiate baseball for 2020.
The Okotoks Dawgs will have to wait until next season to defend their Western Canadian Baseball League championship after the league's board of governors voted unanimously on May 27 to cancel the 2020 season.
"It was decided that the league had no alternative but to cancel the 2020 WCBL season," stated a Dawgs press release. "The league made every effort to monitor the evolving COVID-19 crisis in hopes that sufficient progress would be made in containing the virus so as to enable play, if only for a shortened season, however with the ongoing restrictions on mass gatherings and a closed Canada and US border, it had become clear that the 2020 WCBL season could not safely proceed."
The WCBL features six Alberta teams - Okotoks, Lethbridge, Brooks, Medicine Hat, Edmonton and Fort McMurray - as well as four from Saskatchewan with the expanded schedule for 2020 having each team play 56 games from late May to August.
In a WCBL release, the league stated it worked through several contingencies before deciding a season was not feasible in the current climate.
"The league faced a variety of problems and looked at all options before coming to the decision to cancel the season. Pushing back the start date of the season until July 4 or playing with only Canadian players to prevail over border issues are a couple options the league explored before cancelling.
"With the federal government announcing that the border will remain closed until at least June 22, and that people must self-isolate for 14 days once they cross the border, we would not have enough time to carry out a season."
Another hurdle the league wasn't able to overcome was the restrictions on mass gatherings.
"With the provincial governments announcing that gathering sizes are restricted to 50 persons, teams would face serious challenges trying to get fans into stadiums. Social distancing would be a challenge in clubhouses and especially on buses that teams must use for travel purposes."
"The league even explored the option of reducing stadium capacities to allow for better social distancing and by operating with temperature checks and masks. Unfortunately, our franchises will not be able to adjust to the economic impact of such a model due to the reality that our teams rely mainly on park generated revenues plus the community initiatives to fund operations."
The league is made up by collegiate athletes both north and south of the border.
Okotoks averages close to 4,000 fans per game at Seaman Stadium for the summer season. The Dawgs were set to unveil the Core-4 expansion with a new visitors' clubhouse and patio in the left field berm and bleachers this summer at the friendly confines.
"Dawgs thank their fans, in particular their sponsors and season ticket holders, for their phenomenal loyalty, patience and support," the release added. "Regrettably, we will have to wait until the 2021 season to defend our WCBL championship. The Dawgs urge all of our supporters to continue to respect and follow the guidelines prescribed by our vigilant government and health authorities.
“Together we are going to beat this thing and come back firing in 2021."
Dawgs season ticket holders are asked to check their emails and visit dawgsbaseball.ca for information on ticket credits and refund policies.
More to come on this story.
